Tube.



H. I. VAN NOSTRAND.

TUBE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 25, 190s.

Patented Nov. 30, 190 9.

f NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY I. VAN NOSTRAND, 0F TEKAMAH, NEBRSKA.

TUBE.

Speoication of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application illed November 25, 1908. Seria1lo..464,353.

To dll whom 'it may camera:

Be it known that I, HARRY I. VAN Nos- TRAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tekamah, in the county of Burt yand State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Tube, of which^the following is a specification. t

This invention relates to mailing tubes and lhas for its object to provide a strong, durable and thoroughly eicient device of this character by means of which drawings, papers and analogous articles may be transmitted through the mails without danger of injury or mutilation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mailing tube capable of being readily opened to permit accessto the contents thereof by the postal authorities, and which may bev securely fastened to prevent accidental displacement of the papers or other articles within the tube after inspection.

A further object is to reinforce and strengthen the tube by the provision of corrugated metallic plates, and further to provide the opposite ends of said tube with flexible reinforcing members adapted to be folded within the tube to form supports for the adjacent closures.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency as well as to reduce 'the cost of manufacture.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that varlous changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciicationz-Figure 1 is a perspective View partly in section of a mailing tube constructed in accordancewith my invention, one end of the tube being shown open andthe other closed. Fig. 2 1s a longltudinal sectional view of that end, of the tube having the removable closure; Fig. 3 is a similar -view of that end of the tube provided with the permanent closure. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectional View taken on the line4- 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is aperspective view illustrating a modified form of the closure. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view illustrating a further modification.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The improved mailingtube formingthe subject matter of the present invention is preferably formed of laminatedK paper, the several plies of which are rolled Ito produce a cylindrical lbody portion 5. The tube 5 is preferably reinforced and strengthened by the provision of` longitudinally disposed plates 6, preferably corrugated in the direction of their length and interposed between the plies constituting the body portion of the tube, normal shape and prevent denting or breakage of the latter when transmitted through the mail.

Secured to` the exterior walls of the tube 5 at the opposite ends thereof are `flexible strips 7 preferably formed of linen, thin canvas or other stout material, the free end of each strip being extended longitudinally beyond the adjacent end of the tube and the terminal portion thereof folded upon itself to form a reinforced hem 8.

The extended strips 7 are adapted to be folded' over the edges of the tube at the adjacent ends thereofand thence downwardly in contact with the interior walls of said tube, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the terminal reinforced hem or bead 8 of each member 7 constituting a stop shoulder for engagement with a plug or closure 9.

The plugs or closures 9 may be formed of wood, metal or other suitable material, but are preferably formed of heavy stout card board, the peripheral edges of which are preferably inclined or beveled so as to cause the same to firmly grip the folded edge of the reinforcing strip 7 and force the latter against the interior Walls of the tube.

Each head or closure 9 is also provided with a centrally disposed opening 10 through which a cord, wire or other retaining device may be threaded, thereby to asthereby to retain the tube in its portions of the reinforcing u on itself and having its free end' extended.-

e inclined peripheral edge of the,

a ong tih head or plug and attached to theuinner face thereof, whereby when a lon itudinal pull is exerted on the loop the hea or closure 9 will be forcibly ejected. One or more circumferentially corrugated bands 14 are also preferably arranged within the tube and in contact with the interior walls thereof to assist in strengthening the tube and preventing collapsing of the same.

In using the device the permanent plug or closure 9 is first positioned within one end of the tube by folding the extended end 'of the flexible reinforcing member 7 within the tube and then applying a coating of glue or other adhesive material to the inclined edge of the plug 9 and forcing said plug longitudinally Within the tube and against the adjacent reinforcing rib 8 of the member 7. As the heador closure 9 is forced within the adjacent end of the tube, the peripheral edge of the head will cause the glue or other adhesive material to seep through the linen or canvas 7 and thus cause thel latter rmly to adhere to the interior walls of the tube. After vthe plu 9 is in position the edges of the tube a ove the closure are crimped inwardly at 15 to assist in preventin accidental withdrawal of the plug. The rawings, papers or other articles are then positioned within the tube and the removable head or plug placed in position at the opposite end of the tube, no glue or other adhesive material being employed, however, in connection with the removable head. In order to inspect the contents of the tube it is merely necessary to exert a slight longitudinal pull Aon the loop 11n when the latter may be withdrawn from said tube so as to permit the removal of the papers through the open end thereof.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified form of head or closure in which the latter is provided with spaced perforations 16 for the reception of a piecev of cord or twine 17, which latter forms a n.- ger loop and has its free ends rovided with lmots 18 to prevent the with rawal of the oop. r

In Fig. 6 of the drawings there is illustrated a different manner of supporting the closure 9 within the tube. In this case the fabric strip 7 terminatesl flush with .the adjacent end of the tube while the exterior wall of said tube is rolled or pressed inwardly at 12 to produce an internal circumferential rib 13 adapted to support the closure 9 and limit the inward movement thereof. If desired, however, the ribs- 8 and 13 may be used together for preventin accidental dis-v lacement of the closure. l ile it is preferred vto provide longitudinally corrugated lplates for reinforcing the body of the tube it is obvious that wire may be coiled around the tube between some of the plies thereof or a flat strip of metal arranged in s ira form may be positioned on the tube wit out de arting from the spirit of the invention. avin thus described the invention what is claime is l 1. A mailing tube including a body consisting of a pluralit of plies of sheet material, a longitudina ly ,corrugated reinforcing tube extending continuously from one end to the other of the body and between two of the plies, and a centrally disposed circumferentially corrugated tubular reinforce within the body.

2. A mailing tube comprising a non-flexible body consisting of plies o sheet material, a longitudinally corrugated reinforcing tube interposed between two of the plies and extendin continuously from one end to the other of t e body, a flexible reinforcin tube secured to the outer face of each en of the body and foldable over said end and into the body, each of 'said flexible tubes havin an end fold constitutin an annular shoul er, wardly extended flexiblel tube and against said shoulder.

3. A mailing tube comprising a non-fiexible body portion, a flexible tube secured thereon and extending be ond each end of the body portion, said tu e having a reinforced outer edge,` and said tube being foldable' into the body portion, said reinforces constitutin an interior annular shoulder when the exible tube is seated within the body portion, and a closure insertible into said inturned iexible tube and against the shoulder, there being a finger-receiving opening within the closure.

4. A mailing tube comprising a body consisting of plies of sheet material, said body being non-flexible, and a longitudinally corrugated reinforcing tube interposed between two of the plies and extending continuously from one end to the other of the body, said body? having an interior annular closureretaining shoulder adjacent one end.

5. A mailing tube comprising a body consisting of a plurality of plies of sheet material, a non-flexible, longitudinally corrugated reinforcing tube interposed between two of the plies and extending continuously and a closure nsertb e into the infrom one end to the other of the body,'a 1ny own, I hve hereto aixedmy signature ircumferentally corru ed reinfolrcing in the presence of two witnesses.

and within the body an aring on t 1e inner surface thereof, there being an interior HARRY I 'VAN NOSTRAND 5 annular closure retaining shoulder Within Witnesses:

the body and adjacent one end. E. D. WIGTON,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as JAMES A. CLARK. 

